Calder-based trainer Tamara Levy had a stellar month
of May and capped it off with Barn of the Month honors. She hopes to continue
her success into the rest of the year and is on track to do just that.
“It’s what I get up for every day, to come here and be with the people I work
with and the horses,” Levy said. “When you win races it validates you, so you
feel very good about what you do, and it helps you go forward, also. It keeps
your momentum going and your confidence up, so it means a lot.”
While Levy is fairly new to the trainer standings, she has worked with horses
for many years. After starting with show horses, she attended veterinary school
before becoming a certified veterinary technician for large and small animals.
She then worked on the small animal side before switching to work on Ralph and
Betty Sessa’s layup farm working on rehabbing horses. Once she went out on her
own and met her husband Ron of IAB Stables, Levy eventually switched over to
becoming a trainer for his stable of horses after he decided to make a change
from employing outside trainers as he previously had done.
“I haven’t looked back yet,” Levy said. “It’s been great, but I don’t do farm
work much anymore.”
In May alone, Levy’s horses won seven times at Calder. In the first four months
of the Calder meet, they won just six times. Levy, in only her fifth year of
training, has already amassed 18 wins from just 59 starts with her horses in
2014 through June 8, which is just three wins shy of tying her career-high. Last
year, Levy’s horses won 21 times from 102 starts.
Assisting in those wins was the four-year-old filly Desirable Lady, who won her
fourth straight race at Calder on May 24. Courtney Ryan has won twice at Calder
this year as part of a six-win run out of seven races between Calder and
Gulfstream Park. She is on target to carry her success into the one-mile $75,000
Nancy’s Glitter Handicap on Saturday at Calder.
“I know Courtney will always run her best race; that’s a given,” Levy said. “I
think she’s pretty much proved that after 15 wins. Hopefully we win it. That
would be great, but as always, I just want her to have a safe trip and run a
good race and do her thing — come back to the barn happy and healthy.”
Courtney Ryan, like many of the horses in Levy’s care, was claimed by Levy and
went on to further her career with numerous wins. After Levy claimed her at
Calder for $6,250 on July 21, 2012, Courtney Ryan won 13 races in total,
including her first start off of the claim, which she won by 12 1/4 lengths. Levy
said that Courtney Ryan has been one of her most successful claims so far.
“We love her. We love her a lot,” Levy said. “She’s special. No matter what you
put in front of her, she just she doesn’t ever see anything as too big. She’s
always game to try whatever you want to do with her. We have been very lucky
with her. I hope to have more horses like her.”
Levy frequently claims horses, replenishing her stock when one is claimed and
adding to her stable when a horse draws her interest. While she has been
maintaining a barn of about 10 horses as of late, she has a new pack of
two-year-olds scheduled to ship in from the farm in the near future, as well as
horses that are returning from layoffs after racing in the winter months.
“I want to just continue going the way we’ve gone and tackle each thing that
comes to us,” Levy said. “Hopefully we end up winning a lot of stakes races or
the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders’ Cup, what everybody dreams of doing. That’s
what we dream of doing, but for now I’m happy just winning races whatever they
may be.”
Much of Levy’s success has come at Calder since she began her training career
and has been based at Calder since 2010.
“The people at Calder have been very, very gracious to me,” Levy said. “They
always make sure my needs are met. I like it here. I’ve never considered leaving
Calder. I’m comfortable here. It’s close to my house, so logistically it was
better for us to come here. I believe the surface here is just phenomenal to
train on. We have options — we have the training track, we have the main track,
we have the pool available to us, so I like that.”
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